introduction to ENVR 2000

biotic

all living things

abiotic

all non living things (oceans, clouds)

environmental science

knowledge about the natural world

environmentalism

social movement dedicated to protecting the natural world

renewable resources

resources that renew themselves over short periods of time (timber, water, soil)

but can be overharvested/exhausted

resource management

balancing using a resource with its protection and preservation

perpetual resources

resources that will always be available: wind, sunlight, wave energy

non renewable resources

resources that are not readily available to humans in our time

finite supply, can be depleted

oil, fossil fuels, minerals

goods from the environment

useful materials extracted from the environment (air and fertilizers)

services from the environment

functions and processes vital to all living things

carrying capacity

the ability of a system to support life

the number of individuals that can be sustained successfully by the land

tragedy of the commons

unregulated exploitation leads to resource depletion

people are tempted to use a resource until it is gone

solutions to the tragedy of the commons

private ownership leads to more control and responsibility over resources

social norms help keep people in check

open access bad, leads to a free-for-all of resources

preferences of DDT in dif countries

DDT is a pesticide

welcomed in developing countries to kill malaria mosquitoes

banned in developed country for health risks

why has the population exploded?

better healthcare (vaccines, antibiotics, penicillin)

agriculture has increased = more food available

better sanitation = less spread of disease

IPAT model

measure of how we impact the environment

I = total impact

P = population

A = affluence

T = technology

ecological footprint

environmental impact of an individual or population

biocapacity

the capacity of a productive ecosystem to sustain life

millennium ecosystem assessment

the best scientific assessment of the condition of the worlds ecological systems